Carbonaceous fuel



Patented July re, 1923.

un ts srnrss reenter earner ersion.

caanoimcnous rent.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, WALTER E. TRENT, citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, -in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful'Improvements in Carbonaceous Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to animproved carbonaceous fuel composed largely of the car bonaceous content of coal, lignites, ashes or other carbonaceous fuel bearing materials, a hydrocarbon oil, and a small quantity of water.

It is an object of the invention to provide a composite carbonaceous fuel of a plastic consistency composed of finely pulverized carbonaceous material, hydrocarbon oil, and

a small quantity of absorbed and entrained water,

The fuel preferably consists of a plastic mass composed of a series of amalgamated masses or nodules, each amalgamated mass or nodule consisting of a vast multitude of the fine coal particles having oil coatings. Water is absorbed within the small pores of some of said coal or carbonaceous particles and is likewise trapped beneath the oil coatin surrounding the multitude of particles. ater is also interspersed between a series of the amalgamated masses forming the plastic fuel.

In producing my fuel I'preferably use the carbonaceous content of coal which has been largely. freed .of its natural ash and which has been reduced to an exceedingly fine state of subdivision. The fine carbonaceous particles after reduction are saturated in a body of water so that water is absorbed in a number of the pores in the fine particles. A

' great many of the individual particles are separately. coated or surrounded by thin films of oil and a multitude of such fine particles are combined or coalesced in a plastic aggregate or "amalgamated mass surrounded by an exterior thin film or surface of hydrocarbon oil. This oil film retains in each amalgamated mass of particles surrounded thereby some mechanically entrained water, and manifestly when a multitude of amalgamated masses are brought into contact during formation certain .free water is trapped between the oil coatings or surfaces of such masses, and it is hi hly desirable to produce a fuel having th1s water content. I

. The fuel forming the subject matter of this invention contains certain definite rela- Application filed June 19, 1922. Serial no. 589,329.

ceous matter and water within narrow limits. The substances must be within certain definite proportions in order to produce a fuel containing the characteristics and propertles of the present fuel which will render 1t hlghly successful in use for the manu facture of water gas, domestic purposes, in steam boilers, power plants for engines, etc. The relative quantit of oil, coal and water 1n the fuel varies s ightly depending upon the consistency of the product, and also upon the character of the oil and coal em ployed, but I have found that with ordinary coals of the bituminous type reduced to 100 degree mesh and with the usual hydrocarbon fuel oil, the proportions by .weight should bewithin the limits of substantially 15 to 30 per cent oil, 5 to 10 per cent water and to per cent comminuted carbonaceous material, which of course contains some impurities.

The herein described fuel roduct may be produced by* the process isclosed in m Patent No. 1420164, June 20, 1922, and is a continuation in part of the application resulting in'said patent. By the process disclosed in said co-pending application finely comminuted coal is placed in water suspension and a quantity ofoil added thereto, the substances being agitated to cause the coal to combine in a plastic mass or masses largely excluding water and gangue. The product thus produced and forming the subject matter of this application is therefore 7 carbonaceous content of coal, .urified oils and a small quantity of absor ed and entrained water.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a composite plastic fuel of the one which consists largely of the purified nature herein-;-described, wherein the 'hy- J drocarbon oil employed has been topped for the removal of the volatile constituents so that said oil is substantially free of volatile substances and the fuel may be used without danger of explosions, etc. from explosive to 200 meshes per linear inch, which. results in a physical detachment of a large proportion of the carbonaceous content of the coal from such impurities as ash, silica, silicates, etc. The fine material is then placed ,in

water suspension and mixed with a hydro multitude of fine coal particles, hydrocarbon oil and a small percentage of water. The oil, carbon particles and water take a plastic consistenc and the originally detached angue o the coal is substantially excluded, being carried away by the" water in which said gangue is suspended. Both the oil and coal forming two constituents of the amalgam are therefore substantially urified. lit is to be observed that the coal 1s originally ground wet, or is introduced in water suspension before the oil is adde d, so that small ores in the fine particles of coal absorb and retain certain small quantities of water before the particles are agglomerated and oil coated which is highly desirable in the present fuel. The agglomerated masses or nodules vary in size, depending upon the time and violence of agitation when the amalgam is being produced. They usually take an oval form, approximately i; inch in diameter, and each amalgamated mass or nodule consists of vast numbers of fine individual coal particles.

Each amalgamated mass or nodule therefore contains an inestimable number of exceed'ingly fine coal particles, -a -great many pores of which haveabsorbed water in the thereof and which are individually coated b a film ofoil, the multitude of said particles being of course surrounded by an oil film forming the amalgamated mass or agtity of this entrapped water may be re need vby subsequent treatment of the amalgam,

such as by centrifuging pressure; or like methods, when it is desired to lower the water content. The amalgam, however, always contains certain definite quantities of .oil, comminuted carbonaceous matter, and

water within relatively "narrow limits. A fuel product composed ofbituminous coal, fuel 'o1l, and water, .usuall contains said substances'in about the fo lowing proportions by weight: fuel oil from 15 tic-'30 percomminuted carbon y divided carbonaceous materia,

insi e? the bituminous coal with some impuritiesvarying from approximately 60 to 80 percent, and water varying from 5 to 10 permated masses are of a consistency resembling that of mortar, and. as hereinbefore stated, consists of fine individual particles of coal or other carbonaceous matter having an applied quantity of water absorbed therein, or

clinging to the surface of the coal particles as a film, around which there is the thin film of oil serving to entrap the water. A series of these individual particles are united together by the applied oil and form the plastic mass. Each treated particle has the lnner carbonaceous mineral material, the applied or intermediate water and the external coating of oil, all of which has been hereinbefore described.

In producing the plastic masses T have also found that where the maximum quantities of oil is used, this oil serves to displace water, and therefore the more oil formed in the mass the less the water content.

The presence of the water and the oil in the fuel is most desirable in nearly all uses. They provide with the comminuted carbonaceous material an ideal fuel for the production of water gas, and for domestic uses. The fuel will not be dust or blow, being of a plastic consistency andis eas to handle. It is also a fuel which is most esirable for use on ships, steam boiler plants, and the like, as it has been found that a quantity of this fuel stored within a given space will evaporate a great deal more water and reduce more heat than can be produced rom a like quntity of coal or Olll stored in a similar space.

Havin thus described my invention, what I T claim is:-

1. A vcomposite fuel composed of finely comminuted carbonaceous material, oil andwater within substantially the following proportions by weight; 60 to per cent comminuted carbonaceous material, 15 to 30 per cent oil and 5 to 10 per cent water, said fuel being of substantially a plastic consistency. Y

2. A composite fuel of a plastic consistency and composed principall of finely oil' and water, the oil content of the fuel being of a quantity constituting at least 15 per cent of the mass by we igpt. 3. A composite el of a plastic consistearner 'ency and composed principally, of finely divided carbonaceous material and oil, the oil content of the fuel being of a quantity of at least per cent of the mass by weight, with a carbon content of at least 60 per cent by weight and a water content of at least 5 per cent thereof by weight. d. A composite fuel composed principall of finely comminuted carbonaceous materia w hydrocarbon oil and water, said fuel bein' ofa plastic consistency and having the individual carbonaceous particles enveloped by oil films with a multitude of vsaid individually developed particles formed into a 16 plastic mass having an oil coating, the materials in said plastic mass being in the proportion of 'at least 50 per cent comminuted carbonaceous material to at least 20 per cent oil and 5 per cent water by Weight.

5. A composite carbonaceous fuel of a plastic consistency composed of finely divided solid mineral carbonaceous particles, said individual particles containing applied water, external coatings of oil liquid at normal atmospheric temperatures surrounding a number of said individual particles and' trappin therein the applied water, avast multltu e of the particles being assembled water, external coatings of oil liquid at normal atmospheric temperatures surrounding a number of said individual particles and trappin therein theabsorbed water, a vast multitu e of the particles being assembled in a plastic state and enclosed by an oil film extendin around said assembledparticles, said oil 111 having trapped therein a small amount of free water.

7. A composite carbonaceous fuel of a plastic consistency composedv of finely divided solid carbonaceous mineral particles, said particles containingapplied water, external coatings of oil surrounding the water containing individual particles and trapping therein the applied water, a multitude of said particles being assembled by oil into a plastic mass.

n testimony whereof I afix my signature.

WALTER EDWIN TRENT. 

